- Now is the moment we can predict who will win the league this season
- How Arsenal have handled the assault on the club by referees
By Tony Attwood
Leaving aside temporary appointments, Arsenal have had 20 managers during its time as a professional club. By comparison, Tottenham have had around 40, although it is sometimes hard to tell which ones were temporary ande which were supposed to be permanent but were quickly moved on.
Indeed, over half of the clubs in the top four divisions in England have changed their manager since the end of the 2023/24 season. 52 out of 94 in fact. Three of those clubs are currently in the Premier League (Nottingham Forest, West Ham, and Wolverhampton) and one was in the Premier League but has since left (Southampton).
And as we have often noted before, there is very limited evidence to say that the incoming manager will do better. It can happen (and of course Arsenal is a clear indication of this) but (again as with Arsenal) it can take time.
Arteta’s season, taking over from Emery, and his first full season,l each ended with Arsenal finishing 8th in the league and cries among some “fans” for the manager to go.
Leaving aside those managers who were appointed in the 19th century when tenures tended to be very short, and those who were noted at the time of appointment as a “temporary manager,” the shortest term served by an Arsenal manager was Bruce Rioch, who ran the club for 47 games between 1995 and 1996.
The next shortest was Unai Emery who lasted 78 matches, and who was dismissed not just because results were poor but because of his utterly disastrous transfer policy, which wasted huge amounts of money that could have been used on players who could make an impact.
Mikel Arteta is currently Arsenal’s eighth longest serving manager having been in charge for 306 days. Ahead of him in the time rankings are George Morrell, Herbert Chapman, Terry Neill, Tom Whittaker, George Graham, Bertie Mee, and Arsène Wenger.
The longest serving manager who never won a trophy with Arsenal was George Morrell, who managed the club from 1908 to 1915, and who was the only Arsenal manager to have taken Arsenal down to the second tier. After managing Arsenal, he is not reported to have overseen any English club but did manage Third Lanark for a while; a club that no longer exists, to the best of my knowledge.
In terms of success at Arsenal, the manager with the most major trophies was Arsene Wenger with three league titles and seven FA Cup wins. George Graham won two league titles, one FA Cup, two League Cups, and the Cup Winners’ Cup
Of course, in earlier times there were no European trophies to go for, but it is notable that both Tom Whittaker and Herbert Chapman each won the 1st division twice and the FA Cup once – these being the only competitions available to the club.
Mikel Arteta is our eighth-longest serving manager of all time, although in the coming weeks, he will overtake George Morrell, who managed the club for 309 games up to the cessation of league football in 1915 during the First World War.
But he will have to stay another three seasons to overtake Herbert Chapman, who oversaw 411 matches. At the time of his passing, Chapman had delivered the FA Cup and two league titles to Arsenal, with a third title coming at the end of the season in which Chapman died.
But although Arteta is behind Chapman in terms of trophies, the league results under Arteta are considerably superior overall to those of Chapman. Under Chapman, Arsenal won 49.64% of their games. Under Arteta, at this moment, the winning percentage is 59.80%
Only three managers who have exceeded Arteta’s winning percentage. One was Joe Shaw who was the manager in 1934 for 23 games after Herbert Chapman passed away during the season. He took Arsenal to the title, but then immediately returned to his previous job as manager of the reserve team.
In 1898 Arsenal had a manager whose name is now lost to the archives, but who oversaw nine games of which the club won six, giving the club a win percentage of 66.6%. And finally, we have Pat Rice, who was in temporary charge in 1996 before Wenger arrived. He managed the club for four games, of which three were won, and I can well remember suggesting to my pal Roger that the club would give him the job of manager and tell Wenger to stay where he was.
Ah well, one can’t get every prediction right.
Didn’t Stewart Houston have an interim role after George Graham?
… and Freddie Ljungberg after Emery.
… also Don Howe, after Terry Neil?
John L
I believe you are correct, although I would expect of those only Don Howe was seen as a ‘full time’ appointment.
I suspect both Stewart and Freddie knew they were only ‘temporary’ from day one.
Off topic , I see Football London have produced a piece that proclaims a certain provincial club that has 115 charges (although i think the number may be 130) pending will receive a verdict over alleged ffp breaches possibly this month , or next … as Arsenal await outcome… !!!!
It’s certainly good to know that all the other professional clubs in England and indeed the rest of Europe are completely unaffected by these goings on.
They also reliably informed the footballing nation that they could still appeal the verdict reached if it is unacceptable to their glorious owner.
@ Nitram
From wikipeadia
Terry Neill Northern Ireland 9 July 1976 16 December 1983 416 187 117 112 601 446 44.95
Don Howe ‡ England 16 December 1983 22 March 1986 117 54 32 31 187 142 46.15
Note Don’s win rate was higher than Neil’s.
Don was coach for the finals we played in When Neil was manager
I remeber there being great happiness among the supporters at Neil’s appointment. For me there was no evidence for this, He came to us from Spurs and Hull F C and Northern Ireland,
In his first season we came 7th and Spurs were relegated.
As to win rate Arteta is top with 59%.
I can’t be certain I without checking, I know there are at least 3 former Arsenal players may be 4 who have managed Spurs.
Only one former Spurs player has managed Arsenal Herbert Chapman.
Imagine being a Spurs director and when away to Arsenal sitting in the Arsenal board room and seeing a large photo of HC on the wall. Wow!
Charles
When I first started to go to matches with my family Bertie Mee was in charge.
But when I was 15ish and started to go on my own or with mates it was Terry Niels era. I Went to all 3 FA Cup finals and the Cup winners cup final. As you will b well aware, we lost 3 of those, our sole victory coming against Man Utd in the ‘5 Minute’ Cup Final.
During terry Neil and Don Howes reigns was the period I most went, managing to get to virtually all the home games and a majority of the away games.
That period was not very successful, and in fact at times some of the football was very poor.
I believe it was during that period I was unfortunate enough to be at one of the most miserable matches I had ever been to. A 0- 0 home draw against Norwich on a rain soaked Tuesday evening. I was joined by a miserly 22,000 other stalwarts.
But here’s the thing. I still loved it. Yes we had a little moan up on the train home but by the next day we were excitedly making arrangements for the next match.
That to me is what a true ‘supporter’ does.
I continued to be able to go to games into the Graham era but alas work, and life in general started to get in the way. Sadly, by the Wenger era I found it almost impossible to go.
Back to the less successful times, yes we would say this player or that player either played well or had a stinker, but I would never, I repeat never abuse a player. Yes the odd fan did give out a bit of stick, but it was very very rare back in the day.
I would love Arsenal no more, no less, whether we were European Champions or relegation candidates.
Sadly I think fans of today, are very different.
Hello Nitram
Thanks for your reply, I enjoyed reading it.
We are of the same heart no matter the despair we love Arseanl and its 100%
Neil days I used to be laughed by those I knew then.
I dug up this response.
‘Yes Terry Neil is not a good manger but Arsenal are the world’s atrongest club because any other club with him as manager the club would be relegated in two years.’
It was sad that it didn’t happen for Don Howe.
‘The Five Minute Final’ is famous but is there another final where Manager of one club was the former coach of the club – Dave Sexton. He was replaced by Don Howe the coach of the other Cup Final team.
You mention Berti Mee, from what I can make of the set up at that time I think in today’s world his title would be Director of Football.
I agree about Howe. A shame. Sometimes the second in command/assistant/head coach just doesn’t cut it when he steps into the top job. Peter Taylor (he of Clough and Taylor fame) was another who never successfully transitioned to a manger in his own right.
Bertie Mee was the man in the dug out. As to the power he wielded or his job title I couldn’t say for certain. I always ‘thought’ he was The Manager in the same sense that Neil, Graham etc. were, but I don’t know.
As for me and finals, I am a bit of a Jonah. I’ve been to a total of 8 Cup finals of one sort or another and we’ve won just 3.
1969 Swindon LC LOST
1970 Anderlecht Fairs Cup WON
1978 Ipswich Town FA Cup LOST
1979 Man Utd FA Cup WON
1980 West Ham FA Cup LOST
1980 Valencia Cup Winners Cup LOST
1987 Liverpool LC Cup WON
1988 Luton Town LC LOST
I do love a trip down memory lane, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
I really am hopeful this season. And yes, I promise not to go if we get to any finals!!!
I have often wondered who was responsible for our loosing finals now I know.
Just as well you didn’t attend any of the Wenger finals that’s all I can say,
What is the difference between an Arsenal fan and a Spurs fan?
An Arsenal fan has something to hope for.
A Spurs fan has something to despair for!
Have a great Arsenal season my friend.
@ Nitram
We’ve probably talked of this before, being of a similar age. My first Final was Leeds in 1968 (L), then Swindon in 69 (L), Anderlecht in 70 (W) followed by Liverpool 71 (W). Not a bad run after a poor start! I also remember there was a flu epidemic in 1969 and we had half our team out with sickness but an appeal to the FA for a postponement was turned down…..they didn’t even like us in those days lol.
I have been fortunate enough to see more finals than you and certainly have a higher ‘win percentage’ thanks to Mr Wenger. My proudest (yet saddest) was the Champions League final in Paris. I clearly remember walking towards the ground thinking to myself, “we’ve finally made it”. Going 1-0 up totally against the odds was amazing and losing was one of the worst moments of my life.
I consider myself incredibly lucky that supporting my local team (a novel idea nowadays, I know!) gave me so much pleasure though. Happy days…..and many more to come I hope……even though the majority are now in a comfy armchair watching the TV!! (I could no longer afford my season ticket after retirement…..and the 200 mile round trip from where I now live doesn’t mix well with my athritis…..oh the joys of getting old eh?!!!)
C
You too my friend
Mikey
Yes we have, and it was during one of those trips down memory lane that you reminded me of the ‘flu’ incident, which I had completely forgotten. As I was only 9 at the time, understandable I think.
Today, I forget things for the opposite reason. Oh well, as you say, the joys of getting old!!!